1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a ribbon and, more particularly, to a ribbon for forming an artificial flower to be attached to an article for decoration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (KOKOKU) No. 60-14726, an artificial-flower-forming ribbon comprising a pair of strips overlapping each other and at least one string placed between and along both strips and joined at its one end to one ends of both strips is well known.
In such conventional artificial-flower-forming ribbon, both strips have a plurality of joint portions placed at opposite sides of the string and also on a plurality of lines spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of both strips. A pair of adjoining lines extend parallel to two equilateral sides of an isosceles triangle having the base placed on a line parallel to a longitudinal center line of both strips, and are inclined to be alternately reverse.
According to such conventional artificial-flower-forming ribbon, when the string is longitudinally moved relative to both strips, a pair of strip portions defined between a pair of adjoining lines are curved to form a pair of loops. Since a pair of adjoining lines are inclined to be alternately reverse, one pair of loops are produced at positions reverse to another pair of loops adjoining to the one pair of loops. The inclination angle defined by each pair of loops is equal to an angle defined by two adjoining lines.
With the relative movements of the string to both strips, a plurality of pairs of loops are so formed as to be piled up one another at each two positions in inverse relation to each other, whereby an artificial flower having petals defined by these loops is formed by such conventional artificial-flower-forming ribbon.
However, the artificial flower formed by such conventional artificial-flower-forming ribbon as noted above looks unnatural, since a plurality of pairs of loops at the respective positions confront one another in the longitudinal direction of the string. In order to avoid the unnaturalness and bring this artificial flower to have an arrangement of petals close to a natural flower, a plurality of pairs of loops have been twisted around the longitudinal center line of the string, after the formation of the artificial flower, to thereby cause a plurality of pairs of loops to confront one another only at one portions thereof. However, the artificial flower obtained in such manner involves problems in that a plurality of pairs of loops subjected to torsion are returned to its original state, that is, these loops tend to become untwisted to return to a condition to confront one another in the longitudinal direction of the string due to a contact of the artificial flower with another matter, a vibration exerted on the artificial flower, a lapse of time or the like.